Elevator.



No. 777,416. PATENTED DEC. 18, 190% H. A. HENDERSON.

ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 19, 1903.

NO MODEL. 2SHEBTS-SHEET l LWIZNTOR I I B)" PATENTBD BBQ 13, 1904.

H. A. HENDERSON.

ELEVATOR.

APlLlUA'lION FILED DBO. 19, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

INVENTOR B Y m 9' w Atiorney NITED STATES Patented December 13, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELEVATOR SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 777,416, dated December 13, 1904.

Application filed December 19, 1903. Serial Nev 186,843. (No model.)

To all whom, it nwby concern.-

Be it known that I, H ENRY A. HENDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Conway in the county of Carroll and State of New lflttIHPSllll'G, have invented new and useful Improvements in Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in elevators, and more especially to means for operating the same; and its objeet is to provide mechanism of this character which will move the car of the elevator at a desired speed. but which will not permit the same to drop in the event of the breaking of the motor or of the parts connected thereto.

A further object is to employ an operating device the parts of which can be detached and replaced in the event of breakage.

With the above and other objects in View the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred form of my invention, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved elevator-operating mechanism connected to a car-platform. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. and the rails connected thereto. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of rail. and Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the modified form of rail and a portion of the platform mounted thereon.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 1 is the platform of an elevator, and the same has guide-ears 2 at the sides thereof, which overlap guide-rails 8. Arranged upon the inner faces of these guide-rails are rollers 4, revolubly mounted upon horizontal pivot-pins 5. The rollers are spaced apart at regular intervals and for the purpose hereinafter more. fully described. A plate 6 is secured to the bottom of the platform 1 and has an extension 7, from which projects astem 8, which forms a bearing for a gear 9. This gear meshes with a driving-gear 10, secured to one end of a shaft journaled. in bearings 12 upon the bottom of platform 1 and adapted to be rotated in any suitable manner. .De-

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the arms tachably secured to the lower surface of gear 9 by means of bolts 13 or in any other suitable manner are arms 14, arranged in series, and each series of arms is formed with or socured to a curved rail 15, having a strengthening-flange 16 at its inner edge. These curved rails 15 overlap at their ends and in plan view :form'a circle. The rails are spirah and the distance between their overlapping ends is approximately equal to the diameters of the rollers 4. .Any desired number of rails 15 may be used; but I preferably employ three, and each of these rails is slightly longer than one-third of the diameter of the circle formed by all of the rails. Any suitable means, such as a retaining-nut 17, may be employed for holding the arms 14. upon the stem 8.

The diameter of the circle formed by the rails 15 is substantially equal to the distance between the rails 3, and one of the rollers on each of the guide-rails is always contacted by one of the rails 15. W hen rotary motion is transmitted to gear 9 through gear 110 and shaft 11, the arms 14 and rails 15 will be rotated with the gear 9 and will be caused to successively engage the rollers upon the guiderails. The rails 15 will move upward upon the rollers when rotating in one direction and will therefore cause the platform 1 to travel upward therewith. As one of the rails 15 leaves a roller a on one of the guide-rails the succeeding rail 15 will move into position upon the adjoining roller 1 upon said rail, and it will thus be seen that the car is at all times supported by the rails 15 and the rollers. By rotating the rails 15 in an opposite direction the platform can be caused to descend.

While I have shown two guide-rails 3, it will be understood that three or more may be employed. Moreover, instead of mounting the platform solely at the center thereof upon gear 9 the same may in addition he provided with rollers 18, journaled in brackets 19, secured to the platform. and these rollers contact with a circular track 20, secured to the inclined rails. I have shown this modified construction in Figs. 1 and 5. By mounting the platform in this manner there is no danger of the platform tilting or becoming displaced, and the friction caused by the operation of the hoisting mechanism is reduced to the minimum. It will be seen that as the arms l L are detachable any one of the hoisting-rails can be readily removed and replaced in case of breakage. Moreover, owingto the pitch of the rails 15 the platform is prevented from falling in the event of the breakage of the operating-motor or any of the parts connected thereto. It will be seen that the flanges 16 strengthen the rails 15 longitudinally and also serve to limit the lateral movement of the rails in relation to the rollers 4.

In the foregoing description I have shown the preferred form of my invention; butl do not limit myself thereto, as I am aware that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and I therefore reserve the right to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. The combination with guide-rails having rollers journaled thereon; of a platform, astem secured to and projecting from the platform, a gear revolubly mounted thereon, arms secured to and independently removable from the gear, inclined curved hoisting-rails upon the arms and having overlapping ends spaced apart, said rails being adapted to successively ride upon the rollers.

2. In mechanism of the character described, the combination with guide-rails having rollers journaled thereon; of a platform, similar independentlyremovable, inclined hoistingrails connected to the platform, means for ro tating the rails to cause them to successively ride upon the rollers, acircular track formed of sections connected to the rails, and means extending from the platform whereby said platform is supported by the track.

3. The combination with guide-rails having rollers journaled thereon; of a platform, a stem secured to and projecting from the platform, a gear revolubly mounted thereon, arms secured to and independently removable from the gear, inclined curved hoistingrails upon the arms and having overlapping ends spaced apart, said rails being adapted to successively ride upon the rollers, a circular track formed of sections secured to the inclined rails, and rollers secured to the platform and contacting with the track.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY A. HENDERSON. WVitnesses:

H. BOARDMAN FIFIELD, GEO. A. CoL'roN. 

